Ill figure that out later
by zambia.girl
Summary: Malfoy thinks he's got Hermione eating out of the palm of his hand. Hermione thinks she's got it all under control. Will Hermione overcome her biggest challenge? Will Malfoy decide where his loyalties lie? And what will become of the famous Trio?
1. Chapter 1

Hermione walked quickly down the dark deserted hallway. She had just come out of a meeting with Mrs. McGonagall about her latest theory on homo sapien transfiguration but somewhere along the way she seemed to have taken a wrong turn. Hermione looked about her and noted there were no windows. _I must be in the dungeons… How on earth did I get here?_

"Granger? You must be lost because no Mudblood has been down here for centuries!"

Hermione's curly brown whipped through the air as she sharply pivoted to see Malfoy standing behind her smirking.

"Malfoy." She acknowledged curtly. Hermione knew not to lose her temper; she's not called the cleverest witch of her age for nothing. She proceeded to stride away but a jet of red light hit the floor where her foot was a second ago.

"Where u going Granger?" Malfoy had his wand ready, pointed towards Hermione.

"I don't have time for your games Malfoy." Hermione replied angrily. Her fingers twitched towards her wand but she clenched her fist.

"Ah, but I do!" He smirked again. In the blink of the eye, Hermione drew her wand and shot a jelly legs curse at Malfoy. He sidestepped and advanced towards her while firing a Body Binding Curse. Hermione blocked and also advanced towards Malfoy. The two shot curses towards each other, each striding towards the other. The corrider was ablaze with different colored lights. It was like a fireworks display with the curses ricocheting all over the walls. The two were nose to nose each holding their wands to each other's test. Both were panting from the effort to block and think of curses at such speed. Hermione stared into Malfoy's piercing blue eyes and before she knew it, his mouth was pressed against hers. Hermione let herself drift away on the wave of bliss that washed over her. Her wand clattered to the floor as she ran her hands through Malfoy's blond hair. Malfoy pushed Hermione roughly against the wall and forced his tongue into her mouth. Hermione submitted willingly, urging him to use her any way he wanted. Their hearts were racing, beating at the same pace, sharing body heat. Hermione didn't know whether it lasted 10 seconds or 10 milleniums, but however long it was, it was the most amazing feeling she had ever experienced. Finally Draco pulled away and whispered seductively in her ear

"This changes nothing" before stalking away.

Hermione was left leaning against the wall dumbstruck. She shook her head and tidied herself up before allowed herself a small smile. Hermione tucked a short blond hair in her robe pocket and hurried towards the secret staircase hidden behind the tapestry of Celestina the Fair.


	2. Chapter 2

_3 months earlier._

"Malfoy's a Death Eater!" screamed Harry in frustration. He was pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room. Rain pounded against the windows and the candles flickered in their holders. Almost everyone had already gone to bed except for a few 1st years gossiping in a corner, jealously eyeing the three friend's seats. Hermione, Ron and Harry were in their 6th year of Hogwarts and so had first dibs on the best seats in the room; Ron still couldn't get over his new found power. 

"Harry! Be reasonable! You-know-who would never let someone as young as Draco become a Death Eater." Hermione argued from her red antique armchair.

"How do you know! This is Voldemort we're talking about right? Or are we talking about another Dark Lord that wants to take over the magic world 'cause if so, then my bad." Ron chuckled, lying across a couch that he claimed for his own, but was quickly silenced with one of Hermione's sharp looks. 

"Perhaps I don't know Harry! But how do YOU know? How can you be sure?" 

"I just know." Harry replied stubbornly.

"That's not enough Harry!" Hermione got up from her chair, knocking her books off a table nearby. "You were sure about You-know-who capturing Sirius and look how that turned out! Sirius is dead!" Hermione yelled desperately before clapping her hand over her mouth. "Harry, I'm so sorry." she stuttered, "I didn't mean it…". Hermione searched Harry's stony face for a sign of forgiveness but he strode past her and murmured something about going to bed. Hermione turned to Ron but he just shrugged, his face pressed against a cushion. Hermione flopped back onto the armchair and groaned. Ron stiffly stood up and stretched before patting Hermione on the back and heading towards the boy's dormitory. After a second, Hermione grabbed the cushion Ron was previously drooling on and smashed her face into it repeatedly. "Boys! Are! So! Stupid!" The 1st years in the corner started to laugh at Hermione's antics but before you could say 'Reducto' Hermione exploded their dinky chairs, her face still buried within the feather cushion. 

"Boys! Are! So! Stupid!"

----

Hermione found Harry sitting in the Great Hall poking at his toast and jam the next morning. She cautiously sat down next to him and breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't get up. "Harry. I'm so sorry. I was just so frustrated with you. I didn't mean it all."

"No, Hermione. You're right. If I had just listened to you… maybe… maybe he'd still be alive…" Harry said to his breakfast. Hermione reached out her hand and touched Harry's arm. He looked up and gave her a teary-eyed smile and held her hand tightly in his. 

"Come on, we have Charms now." Hermione got off the bench and waited patiently for Harry to get up. 

"Hermione, I'm still convinced about Malfoy you know." Hermione closed her eyes and massaged her temples using her fingertips.

"Ok Harry. Let's say that Malfoy is a Death Eater. What do you think he's going to do?" 

"I don't know. That's what we have to find out!" Harry and Hermione strolled out of the Great Hall and bumped into Ron cautiously looking around a corner.

"Ron!" Hermione waved to him. Ron jumped and shut the door he just came out of quickly behind him. 

"What's in there?" Harry asked curiously, trying to see around Ron's form. 

"Nothing!" Ron replied quickly. "What's for breakfast? I'm starving!" Ron pushed Harry and Hermione back into the Great Hall but Hermione caught him throwing a look at the old oak door. 

Ron sat down heavily at the Gryffindor table and proceeded to shove everything edible within reach in his mouth. Hermione gazed horrified at his pig-like behavior but Harry snapped his fingers in front of her face, pulling her out of her reverie.

"What Harry?" Hermione snapped.

"I've got an idea." Ron looked up, pumpkin juice dribbling down his chin. 

"I'm listening…"

"We need someone to follow Malfoy. See what he's doing at every moment. And report back to us about his every move." Ron snorted and started to choke on his toast. Hermione pounded him on the back and looked disbelievingly at Harry. 

"Harry! How on earth are we supposed to get someone on the inside? Slytherins stick together, remember?"

"He's talking 2nd year all over again Hermione." Ron finally said after gulping down a large chunk of apple. "Aren't you Harry?" Harry shrugged and looked at his bowl intently. "Harry! Are you nuts! We're in 6th year now! We don't have time for that!"

"Yeah Harry! And who would do it first of all? Who would we pretend to be? When would we do this? Where would we get the supplies from? Have you thought of any of this?" Hermione elaborated. 

"Why not you guys! We did it in 2nd year! Why not now?" Hermione ran her fingers through her hair and Ron rested his head against the table.

"Ok Harry. Ok. But we'll need a plan."

"Ms. Granger? Mr. Potter? Mr. Weasley? Shouldn't you three be in Charms?" The three Gryffindors jumped at Professors McGonagalls sharp voice. They uniformly replied yes and shuffled off towards the staircases. 

Fellow Gryffindors and other pupils from different houses passed by Hermione and she studied their seemingly care free faces. First years poking their multicolored frogs; Lee Jordan entertaining his little sister by levitating her hat, making it do flips in the air; Ron laughing at Luna Lovegood's newest pair of radish earrings. It didn't look like the most powerful Dark wizard had come back to life at the end of the last school year. Then she would catch a nervous little girl's eyes flicking suspiciously over to the group of sullen Slytherins muttering in a corner, or someone jumping unusually high at the sound of a game of Exploding Snap. It was like Hogwarts was sick; like a parasitic disease was taking of hold it, not just of its' students, but the walls of Hogwarts itself. 

"Hermione? Hello?" Harry waved his scarred hand in her face. Hermione shuddered and sucked in a great breath. Passersby shot funny looks at Hermione, who suddenly leant on the wall on her left, knocking a portrait of an infuriated Grendel the Great askew. Then blackness enveloped the school.

---

Whispered conversations woke Hermione. She opened her eyes blearily and saw two Harry's arguing with a three-headed Madam Pompfrey overhead. Hermione closed her eyes again and dug her face deep into her pillow. A pressure on her right hand appeared, and became increasingly uncomfortable. Hermione groaned, hoping the one crushing her hand would understand her request, but the pressure only became greater. Hermione groaned again and shook her head, her eyes still firmly closed. A sound in hear ears, at first a calming whisper, like the sound of a breeze rustling through dried leaves, gradually grew louder. It quickly became a dull roar, reverberating in Hermione's ear drums. It seemed all of the elements were calling for Hermione to arise, and she didn't want to cooperate. 

"_Hermione_… Hermione… HERMIONE!" 

"WHAT!" Hermione yelled back, jumping upright. Ron screamed with delayed surprise dropping Hermione's hand, backing away with his hands up in the air. The whole hospital wing to fell silent, all eyes were on Ron who blushed tomato red and started coughing, deeply embarrassed. Harry suppressed a laugh, disguising it by knocking over a box of Honeydukes Chocolate that was lying on the bedside table. Hermione raised one of her light brown eyebrows at Harry, and then at Ron and finally rested her cynical gaze on Madam Pompfrey. "So, what am I doing here?" she asked. 

"You passed out dear, in the hallway." The plump nurse answered, brushing Harry aside to get a closer look at Hermione. "Back-to-school nerves I suppose." Hermione opened her mouth at this, determined to quell doubts on her state of mind, but Madam Pompfrey waved her hand dismissively. "It's nothing to be ashamed of! Many young people in your year, especially your year, start to become anxious due to N.E.W.T's." She pushed Hermione back down on the bed and used her thumb and index finger to open Hermione's eye wide. After peering at her pupils for a bit, Madam Pompfrey waved her wand and bottles of interesting shapes and colors floated over. 

"I don't really need to be here!" argued Hermione, "Just give me some chocolate so I can go back to class!" she said, struggling against the nurse's strong arms. The potions mixed themselves, hovering just above the side table, and omitted colorful clouds of gas, causing Harry and Ron to cough and choke, fanning the smoke away from their faces. 

"Nonsense girl! Now just sit back and let me finish your anti-anxiety potion!" 

"No! I don't need it!" 

"Who's the nurse here?"

"Who's the one who has to drink the foul stuff?" 

"Rubbish! Now hush, and drink this!" Madam Pompfrey said, shoving a bottle shaped like what could have been mistaken for a duck into Hermione's hands. 

"Can I go now?" Hermione asked. Madam Pompfrey nodded her head and bustled off towards her office. "Come on guys!" Hermione swung her legs off the bed, downed the potion in one swig, and stood up with a glint in her eye. 

Ron looked at Harry and whispered "I don't like the look of this…"

Hermione strode down the flagstone hallway, not keeping in mind Harry and Ron a few paces behind trying to keep up. 

"Alright guys, it's October so not long before the snow starts to fall. We need a plan before December break ok?"  
"Hermione! What are you on about?" Ron asked, breathless. 

"The plan to uncover Malfoy's plan of course!" Hermione turned right into the empty Transfiguration class. Harry stopped by the doorway, clutching his side and asked,

"Whose plan are we talking about again?" Hermione sighed, and shook her head, sitting down at a wooden table near the front of the room. 

"And, why exactly are we in here?" Ron closed the door behind Harry and sat down on the Professor's table at the front, curiously looking papers and miscellaneous artifacts. 

"Because we have Transfiguration after Charms and – Ron! Put that down!" Ron, startled, set down the whirring contraption he had been poking with his wand a second ago. "As I was saying, since we were wasting time in the Hospital Wing for NO REASON AT ALL," Hermione yelled, glaring at Ron and Harry in turn, "then there was no point to go to Charms halfway through when we could plan!"

"Again with the plans!" Harry cried, throwing up his hands, hitting Ron in the face. "Hey! Watch it man!" 

"Sorry, your big head got in the way of my hands!" Harry grinned.

"Both of you shut up!" Hermione whispered viciously before racing down the aisle between desks, and putting her ear to the door. Harry and Ron exchanged looks, and tiptoed across the room to join Hermione. All three sixth years pressed the faces as close to the knotted wood as possible but they could only hear muffled incomprehensible sounds. Both boys looked to Hermione, who rolled her eyes and pulled out her wand. After an interesting and complex looking twist, they could hear more clearly but once they did hear what was going on outside, the trio pulled away holding their ears. It had sounded like nails against a chalkboard mixed with the sound of something rusty being slowly pulled out of its case. Hermione frowned and tried the spell again but with the same result. She shrugged and looked at Harry and Ron for new ideas. Ron opened his mouth, indicating he had something to help. Ron dug deep into pocket, and after pulling out several moldy and diseased looking sweets, he finally retrieved three Extendable Ears. Harry grinned and pounded Ron on the back, and Hermione flashed him a quick smile before grabbing one and stuffing it in her ear. 

"I don't think I can do it..." said a miserable voice clearly in their ears. Hermione marveled at how the Weasley twins managed to create such an ingenious eavesdropping device but couldn't earn a single O.W.L. Ron smiled with pride. Harry crinkled his eyebrows and shifted position. 

"No! That's not true! I am loyal!" the voice went up an octave, defending itself. The person had to be talking to themselves, reasoned Harry.

"Yes. Of course I will." The voice started to fade away, still muttering, as the speaker walked away. 

Harry, Ron and Hermione all looked at each other. Harry cocked an eyebrow and said,

"Do we really need to guess who that was?" Hermione chewed her lip feeling anxious and subtly shook her head, not saying anything. 

There was a silence before Ron, looking confused, asked,

"Seriously, who was that?"


	3. Chapter 3

Harry and Hermione looked at Ron incredulously

Harry and Hermione looked at Ron incredulously.

"Malfoy of course!"

"Filch of course!" Harry and Hermione announced together.

"Filch?!"

"Malfoy?!" Again they cried in unison.

"Woah!" Ron put his hands up as if to slow down his thought process. "I was thinking Peeves." Hermione snorted and Ron shot her a scathing look. "It was a better guess than Filch!" Hermione glared at Ron for his outrageous comment, ready to fire back a clever yet still hurtful reply. To stop an imminent argument, Harry stood up and cleared his throat.

"Everybody relax!" Hermione and Ron stopped and looked up at Harry from the stone floor. Harry looked at each one of them in turn and then said, "Hermione, it couldn't be Filch because we didn't hear any wheezing and Ron, I recall Peeves plotting to smash some vases in Professor Trelawney's room all of today, therefore both of you must be wrong!" Harry crossed his arms, looking triumphant. For once he had managed to prove Hermione wrong without actually having to ask Hermione for help, and he couldn't help his chest from swelling a little. Hermione pursed her lips and looked away. She didn't want to encourage Harry's idea that Malfoy was a Death Eater, even if he did have a point, but it still didn't eliminate the other hundreds of students in Hogwarts. Hermione stood up and dusted off her robes before helping Ron up. It was difficult as they had been crammed between the space of the door, a bookcase against the wall and a derelict wooden desk that barely anyone had sat in judging by the coating of dust covering it. Ron was still growing alarmingly tall and Mrs. Weasley was fed up with his complaints of short robes, so that year she had bought him extra long robes that would accommodate not just one year, but several more years of growth. Ron's robes had gotten stuck behind the bookcase somehow, preventing him from standing up.

"You can't be serious." Harry muttered before stepping back carefully to give Hermione more room to maneuver. Hermione tugged and pulled, but Ron's robe did not give.

"Ron, how did you manage to get your robe stuck?!" she asked him, exasperated. Ron shrugged, still on the floor. "Harry! Some help!" Hermione demanded. Harry rolled his eyes and muttered,

"Honestly..." Harry tried to jiggle the bookcase, thinking it would loosen up Ron's robe, but it didn't budge; it was crammed full of enormous books and wasn't able to move the slightest for fear of collapsing. Ron's blushed deep red as Hermione sat down on his lap, hoping to get a better hold of that trapped corner of fabric. Hermione angrily pushed back her bushy hair from her eyes and gritted her teeth. She could feel Ron's heart racing and knew he was uncomfortable with their proximity.

"Bother..." Hermione pulled out her wand, jabbing it in Ron's eye in the process.

"Oy! Watch it!" Ron grumbled, rubbing his tearing eye. Hermione ignored him and pushed up her sleeves. Hermione tried to get comfortable by pushing Ron's legs apart and sitting inbetween them. Harry's eyes widened, and coughed slightly before turning away. Ron looked utterly disturbed, deepening in shades of red by the second.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Hermione said, but nothing happened. Hermione frowned and bit her lip. "Wingardium Leviosa!" she cried, yet to no avail. The bookcase refused to move, let alone levitate. Hermione glared at the bookcase before pushing up her sleeves and shaking her hair. "Wingardium Leviosa!" Hermione proclaimed! Still no movement. "Agh!" Hermione screamed! A bookcase! A simple bookcase had defied her! Harry and Ron exchanged confused looks but before Harry could say anything, Hermione burst into tears and threw herself onto Ron's chest. Ron, startled, froze. He looked to Harry for help but Harry just shrugged. Tentatively, Ron raised an arm and gently patted Hermione on the head. She buried herself into his robe, hiccupping occasionally. Encouraged, Ron carefully held her, rubbing the hysterical girl as a form of moral support. Harry tiptoed forward and carefully severed the corner of Ron's robes so he was freed. He then sat down awkwardly, his legs splayed at frightening angles, and slowly stroked Hermione's hair, trying to calm her down.

Slowly, Hermione's convulsions began to lessen and they eventually stopped. Hermione closed her eyes and clutched Ron's robes a little tighter. Her second break down that day! Was she losing it? Would she be able to make it this year? What was wrong with her? Hermione groaned and shut her eyes even more tightly, hoping the feeling of being unworthy could be blinked away. Unbidden, memories from the past summer flashed in Hermione's mind.

_Hermione watched the clouds flash past, over and over again. Back and forth, she swung, her head tilted back so she could watch the sky. It was a beautiful day, and Hermione had decided to spend the day in the park, rather than worry about Harry or Ron or school for once. The air smelt of honeysuckle and Hermione inhaled deeply; there were some pleasures that couldn't be conjured with magic. She closed her eyes and let the motion of the swing soothe her. Ever since she was a little girl, the slight jolt in her stomach when the swing dropped always excited her. The smooth glide to the next peak relaxed her. The wind passing through her hair and the sun on her face rejuvenated her._

"_Enjoying yourself?" A slightly amused voice asked, breaking Hermione's meditation session. Her eyes snapped open, ready to glare at a fat pesky 8-year-old boy that had nothing better to do during his holidays but annoy girls older than him, in hopes of being seen by his friends talking to high school girls. Instead she saw a tall boy, no not even a boy, but a young man, with skin the color of ebony and broad shoulders. He had a winning smile and a swimmer's body. Hermione put down her feet to stop the swing from moving and gawked. The young man had a well structured face and his head was shaved. His smile widened as he said, _

"_Can you speak at all?"_

_Hermione blinked and tried to say something, but the words caught in her throat._

"_Agheibe..." she managed to grunt._

"_Sorry, didn't catch that!" he laughed, eyes twinkling. Hermione blushed and brushed her hair out of her eyes. _

"_I said, hello."_

"_Hello." He replied, white teeth sharply contrasting with his face, "May I join you?" he asked, pointing towards the empty swing next to Hermione._

"_Oh... Be my guest!" Hermione's heart fluttered; he was so devastatingly handsome. He sat himself down and starting rocking slightly on the swing. Hermione blushed some more and looked down at her lap. There was an awkward silence, neither one saying anything. Hermione chanced a glance at her companion and admired his seemingly perfect profile. He caught her looking and grinned but Hermione ducked her head in shame. "So are you new in Chippenham?" Hermione asked tentatively. _

"_Yeah, just moved in a week ago. I'm in that house down the lane." He pointed down Hermione's street._

"_Oh wow, I live down there! Coincedence?" Hermione questioned playfully, bordering on flirting. He was silent for a second and Hermione looked away, painfully embarrassed._

"_Fate, perhaps." He flashed his superb smile again. Hermione smiled back and started to scuff the dirt. "So which school do you go to?" He asked. Hermione froze, desperately thinking of a reliable answer._

"_Just... uh... a school... around here..." she grimaced, looking away to hide her expression. He laughed again,_

"_Just some school? Does it have a name?" Hermione drew a breath and turned towards him,_

"_I'd tell you, but then I'd start to think you were stalking me." Hermione answered with a sly smile on her face. He laughed again, it was a rich and deep laugh, and Hermione couldn't help but notice his eyes crinkle and his chest shake. Hermione stood up, brushed off her old but fashionably worn jeans, thanking god how they were casually loose but still hugged enough to accentuate her hips and butt. "I have to go" Hermione turned back to him, "but I'll see you around okay." She smiled slightly and started to walk away._

"_But you don't even know my name!" He called after her. _

"_Then what is it?" She yelled back._

"_Brad." _

"_Well then, nice to meet you Brad!" Hermione said, walking backward so she could wave to him._

"_And yours is?" _

"_Goodbye Brad..." Hermione turned away again, a big smile on her face, hair flying around, glinting in the sun. _

_Brad sat on the swing a second, still smiling, before getting up and running after Hermione. _

"Hermione... it's time to go." Harry's voice brought Hermione back from her day dream. They could hear the hordes of students passing through the hallways, chattering and joking. Hermione tilted her head up, and saw Ron's worried eyes staring down on her.

"You okay?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, I'll be alright..." she answered. "Sorry guys... I don't know what's wrong with me today."

"Hermione, it's just nerves. Don't worry about it, they'll pass!" Harry assured her. He got up from his place and offered her his hand. Hermione smiled and took it. She turned around and offered her hand to Ron. He smiled and took it. All three headed out the door, to join the masses of happily ignorant students, to be normal once again even for a brief second, but the beautiful moment was shattered with a scream.


End file.
